Where to watch Toledo vs. Michigan State college football for free

Michigan State hosts Toledo to open its 2026 college football season Friday at 8 p.m. ET. The game will air on FS1, which you can stream free on DIRECTV.

Tonight’s matchup: Toledo Rockets (8-5 in 2025) vs. Michigan State Spartans (4-8 in 2025)

When: Friday, Sep. 4, 8 p.m. ET

Stream: DIRECTV (free trial), FuboTV (free trial)

FuboTV (free trial) and DIRECTV (free trial) both offer FS1 for virtually the same price. Fubo’s “Pro” package costs $88.99, while DIRECTV’s “Entertainment” package is $89.99. Both options offer a free trial and money off the first month of subscription. Your free trial will start once you create an account.

Michigan State begins a new chapter Friday night when it hosts Toledo in a Week 1 matchup at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans enter the season under new head coach Pat Fitzgerald, looking to rebound after a challenging 2025 campaign and establish momentum in front of a home crowd.

Toledo, meanwhile, arrives as one of the MAC’s top contenders after an 8-5 season and brings plenty of experience into the opener.

The Rockets have built a reputation for playing Power Four opponents tough, and they’ll look to lean on an offense that averaged more than 30 points per game last season. Michigan State is expected to counter with a physical, defense-first approach that reflects Fitzgerald’s coaching philosophy.

While the programs are separated by only about 120 miles, this will be just the second meeting in school history and the first since 1925.

TOL: Running back CJ Miller is expected to lead the Rockets’ offense and will be tasked with keeping Toledo’s balanced attack on schedule against a Big Ten defense. The Mercer transfer ran for 953 yards and 14 touchdowns in 2025, adding 314 yards and three more scores receiving.

MSU: Alessio Milivojevic threw for 1,756 yards and 10 touchdowns with the Spartans last season and enters 2026 as the leader of the offense.

Joey Aliberti is a Sports Commerce Reporter for syracuse.com | The Post-Standard, covering sports, TV, streaming and tickets for teams including the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, New York Giants, New York...

This article was produced with assistance from AI tools and reviewed by Syracuse.com staff.